JAY PARIS COMMENTARY: Pass it on: Coryell should be in Canton

SAN DIEGO ---- While the Chargers were dominating the Browns in
the shadow of Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Sunday, my
thoughts turned to another hall.

In particular, a Chargers great whose bust should be collecting
dust in it.

Don Coryell belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He has belonged for years. And with the great coach and
offensive genius in the twilight of his life, this is the year to
right the wrong of his exclusion.

In tribute to Coryell and the electric Air Coryell era, everyone
needs to get into the pattern. Everyone needs to stretch the
defense that he doesn't deserve to be in Canton, Ohio. An entire
Chargers community needs to rise, making sure the 85-year-old icon
is appropriately honored.

The window to let Coryell bask in Hall of Fame glory is closing,
and that was obvious at the recent unveiling of the Chargers' 50th
anniversary team. Coryell's frail health was on display as clearly
as his warm smile when he saw many former, and appreciative,
players.

That makes it imperative that every person with Chargers roots
takes a deep drop and flings their influence downfield.

Among those leading the charge for the influential ex-coach of
the Chargers and San Diego State is, of course, Dan Fouts. Fouts
distributed a letter to Hall of Fame voters, pleading for their
consideration of the person most responsible for Fouts' induction
in 1993.

"For many reasons, I firmly believe that Don Coryell has earned
his place in Canton,'' Fouts wrote. "First and foremost, I would
not be in the Hall of Fame myself had it not been for my nine years
as Don's quarterback with the San Diego Chargers. It was Coryell
---- with his revolutionary vision, his unique style of leadership
and his successful implementation of the most innovative offense
the NFL had ever witnessed ---- that led me and my teammates,
Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner, to the steps of the Hall of
Fame.

"I feel strongly that induction into the Hall of Fame should be
based primarily on one's contributions to this great game and
continuing influence that is felt as the game is played today. All
you have to do is review the careers of Hall of Fame coaches such
as John Madden, Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs, and see who provided them
with the inspiration and innovation that led to their Hall of Fame
careers. Super Bowl coaches such as Dick Vermeil and Mike Martz,
the great offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese and Chargers coach
Norv Turner would all concur that the 'Air Coryell' offense
contributed a great deal to their own success.''

Coryell's blemish is that he never reached, let alone won, a
Super Bowl. But the sign outside the Canton facility reads "Pro
Football Hall of Fame,'' not the "Super Bowl Hall of Fame.'' Never
mind that Coryell's template helped win Super Bowls for disciples
in Dallas, St. Louis, Washington, Oakland and San Francisco ---– at
the least.

"I think people around the league started molding their offenses
after what he did in St. Louis and then what he did here in San
Diego,'' Turner said of Coryell, who also coached the St. Louis
Cardinals. "And look at Joe taking it to Washington and Ernie
(Zampese) bringing that offense to the Rams and obviously we did a
lot of it in Dallas and won Super Bowls; Mike Martz in St. Louis
was running his offense, or some form of it.

"You can go on and on and on. But he has certainly affected the
game, and it's more than affecting people; it's the game of
football, in more ways than anyone could ever understand.''

Not reaching the Super Bowl is the tipping point for coaching
candidates with few other accomplishments. But pick almost any
explosive offense at the college or pro level, and Coryell's DNA is
there.

"There are three times we should have hoisted the (Vince
Lombardi Trophy),'' ex-Chargers running back Chuck Muncie said, of
Coryell's Chargers losing in the AFC playoffs from 1979-81. "But
you know the thing that is kind of gratifying for me ---- I play in
a lot of golf tournaments and see and meet a lot of guys that we
played against, and one of the things that is universal is when
talking to the other guys is they looked at us and say, 'You guys
were the best team in the NFL; there are no ifs, ands and buts
about it.' We had the best offense to ever play the game, to this
day, and I truly believe it with all the weapons we had.''

Coryell is close to induction after advancing to the list of
semifinalists for the second time. In the Chargers' golden season,
Coryell could finally grab his brass Hall of Fame ring.

But only if voters overlook Coryell's shortcoming: no Super Bowl
appearance.

"It's so hard because you don't know sometimes what matters,''
Turner said. "But I know from a football standpoint what matters,
and you got a guy who has affected so many people's lives. And not
just people that he coached. He's been a mentor to a lot of people
and the number of players he's coached that have reached the Super
Bowl.

"They had the misfortune of some bad luck in terms of him
getting to a Super Bowl and winning it. But I think if you take in
everything else he has done, you should not hold it against
him.''

Truer words have never been spoken. In honor of Air Coryell,
pass it on.